Joe Gaziano
Joseph Matthew Gaziano is an American professional football defensive end. He played college football for the Northwestern Wildcats. He has been a member of the Los Angeles Chargers, Atlanta Falcons, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans.
Early life
Gaziano grew up in Scituate, Massachusetts and attended Xaverian Brothers High School, where he played football and lacrosse. He was named the Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior after recording 21 tackles for loss and 16 sacks.College career
Gaziano was a member of the Northwestern Wildcats for five seasons, redshirting his true freshman year. He finished his collegiate career with school records of 30 sacks and 10 forced fumbles and second all-time with 48.5 tackles for loss with 153 total tackles, four fumbles recovered, 15 passes defended and a blocked kick in 52 games played.Professional career
Los Angeles Chargers
Gaziano was signed by the Los Angeles Chargers as an undrafted free agent on April 25, 2020. He was waived at the end of training camp during final roster cuts on September 5, and signed to the practice squad on September 10. He was elevated to the active roster on October 12 and December 26 for the team's Weeks 5 and 16 games against the New Orleans Saints and Denver Broncos, reverting to the practice squad after each game. On January 1, 2021, Gaziano was signed to the active roster.On August 31, Gaziano was waived by the Chargers and re-signed to the practice squad the next day. He was activated for the Chargers' Week 2 game against the Cowboys, and signed to the active roster on October 1.
On August 30, 2022, Gaziano was again waived by the Chargers and re-signed to the practice squad the next day. Following injuries to starting defensive lineman, he was promoted to the active roster on November 19. After starting five games, he suffered a groin injury in a win over the Tennessee Titans and was placed on injured reserve on December 21.